Walmart rolls out personal shopping service through texting

Walmart has announced plans for a new service that will allow paid members to shop and receive product recommendations via text message.

The discount retail giant’s new service will be called “Jetblack” and customers will be able to use it for a $50 monthly fee, according to the company.

The service will allow members to order anything the store carries via text message and have them delivered the same day or the next day for no extra charge.

The service — which is already available to customers in Manhattan and part of Brooklyn — was described by Walmart as offering “the convenience of eCommerce with the customized attention of a personal assistant.” While Jetblack is not yet available to the entire country, its website asks customers to sign up for a wait list.

The service is the first product to launch from Walmart’s tech incubator called “Store No. 8.” Walmart plans to use the service to target both wealthy and busy parents, according to Chain Store Age.

The announcement for Jetblack comes just weeks after Walmart announced it was buying a controlling stake in India’s largest retailer. Walmart purchase a 77 percent stake in India’s Flipkart for $16 billion, making it the discount chain’s largest acquisition to date.